Did you ever wonder what makes popcorn pop, bread rise, or jello jiggle? It may be the chemistry teacher in me (I taught high school chemistry for many years before staying home with my kids), but I often have these types of questions as I cook. Why do we need to add certain ingredients to make the recipe “work?” Could I use something else instead? What is the chemistry behind a recipe? I want to explore these answers and hopefully stumble onto some new questions so that I may be a better cook, and scientist for it. My goal is to explore and gain understanding of the link between cooking and chemistry, and pass on some of this knowledge to those who are willing to read about it.
My hope is that this site will be used by teachers, parents, home cooks, and kids alike. It could serve as a supplement to a lesson plan or homeschool curriculum, as a way to help find the perfect ingredient to add to your “favorite” recipe, or even just an activity a parent and child could do on a rainy day. Each week there will be a theme or food that I investigate. I will try to map out some of the history behind it, find out unusual facts, and hopefully answer some common questions as well. At least one day a week I will have a recipe that will be a delicious way to “test” the facts. I look forward to hearing from you for topics suggestions for later posts or ideas that you have for recipes using these ingredients. Let's get cooking!
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